Core Group of Resettlement Countries

The Core Group of Resettlement Countries refers to the eight nations that agreed in 2007 to accept Bhutanese refugees from camps in Nepal for permanent third-country resettlement. The participating countries were the United States (84,819 refugees), Canada (6,500), Australia (5,554), New Zealand (1,002), Denmark (874), Norway (566), the United Kingdom (358), and the Netherlands (327). The programme was coordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and it remains one of the largest and most successful group resettlement operations in modern history.^[1]

By November 2015, over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees had been resettled, representing approximately 85 per cent of the original camp population. By February 2017, the cumulative total had reached 108,513 departures from Nepal. The programme effectively resolved one of the world's most protracted refugee situations, in which over 100,000 Lhotshampa had languished in camps for up to two decades following their expulsion from Bhutan in the early 1990s.^[2]

Background

The Bhutanese refugee crisis originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the Royal Government of Bhutan enacted a series of policies targeting the Lhotshampa, the ethnic Nepali-speaking population of southern Bhutan. These policies — including the Citizenship Act of 1985, the Marriage Act of 1980, and the 1988 census — resulted in the denationalisation and forced departure of over 100,000 Bhutanese citizens. The displaced Lhotshampa were housed in seven camps administered by UNHCR in southeastern Nepal, primarily in Jhapa and Morang districts.

Fifteen rounds of bilateral talks between Bhutan and Nepal between 1993 and 2003 failed to produce a repatriation agreement. By the mid-2000s, it had become clear that voluntary repatriation to Bhutan was not a viable option, and the refugee population — many of whom had been born in the camps — faced an indefinite future in limbo.^[3]

Formation of the Core Group

In 2006, the United States announced its willingness to accept up to 60,000 Bhutanese refugees, a commitment that fundamentally altered the calculus of the crisis. In 2007, UNHCR convened a core group of eight countries willing to offer resettlement places. The initial commitments were:

• United States: 60,000 places (later expanded)
• Australia, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark: 10,000 places each (collective pledge)
• New Zealand: 600 places over five years beginning 2008
• United Kingdom: smaller allocation within the collective pledge

The IOM was tasked with the logistical operation of transporting refugees from Nepal to their destination countries, including pre-departure medical examinations, cultural orientation, and travel arrangements. UNHCR managed the referral process, identifying refugees eligible for resettlement and submitting their cases to participating governments.^[4]

Resettlement by Country

Country	Refugees Resettled	Share of Total
United States	84,819	85.2%
Canada	6,500	6.5%
Australia	5,554	5.6%
New Zealand	1,002	1.0%
Denmark	874	0.9%
Norway	566	0.6%
United Kingdom	358	0.4%
Netherlands	327	0.3%
Total	100,000+	100%

The United States received the overwhelming majority of refugees, resettling them across dozens of cities including Columbus (Ohio), Pittsburgh, Houston, Atlanta, and Burlington (Vermont), among others. Canada's intake was concentrated in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. Australia resettled Bhutanese families primarily in Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, and regional centres. New Zealand's programme focused on Auckland and Wellington.^[5]

Programme Milestones

• November 2007: First departures from Nepal under the resettlement programme
• March 2009: 8,000 refugees resettled; IOM marks milestone
• July 2010: 25,000 refugees departed
• October 2012: 50,000 refugees resettled
• November 2015: 100,000 milestone reached; UNHCR and IOM issue joint celebration
• February 2017: Cumulative departures reach 108,513

Assessment

The Bhutanese resettlement programme has been widely described as one of the most successful large-scale third-country resettlement operations in UNHCR history. The IOM credited the programme's success to the close cooperation between the eight resettlement countries, UNHCR, IOM, and the Government of Nepal. However, the programme was not without controversy: some refugees and advocacy groups argued that resettlement effectively conceded Bhutan's refusal to accept repatriation, thereby rewarding the government's ethnic cleansing campaign. An estimated 6,500 refugees remained in Nepal as of 2020, many of whom had refused resettlement in hopes of eventual return to Bhutan.^[6]

See Also

• Bhutanese Refugee Crisis
• Bhutanese Refugee Resettlement
• Refugee Camps in Nepal
• UNHCR and Bhutanese Refugees
• Bhutanese Diaspora in the United States

References

1. International Organization for Migration. "Resettlement of Refugees from Bhutan Tops 100,000." November 2015. https://www.iom.int/news/resettlement-refugees-bhutan-tops-100000
2. International Organization for Migration. "Resettlement of Refugees from Bhutan Tops 100,000." November 2015. https://www.iom.int/news/resettlement-refugees-bhutan-tops-100000
3. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. "Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal." https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/prm/policyissues/issues/protracted/countries/157400.htm
4. International Organization for Migration. "Number of Refugees from Bhutan Departing for Resettlement Passes 50,000th Mark." October 2012. https://www.iom.int/news/number-refugees-bhutan-departing-resettlement-passes-50000th-mark
5. International Organization for Migration. "Resettlement of Refugees from Bhutan Tops 100,000." November 2015. https://www.iom.int/news/resettlement-refugees-bhutan-tops-100000
6. Wikipedia. "Bhutanese refugees." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutanese_refugees